Yeesh! Ok so this really lights up the last 50ish pages and my god is it a page turner!! Lystra is the heir of a house who's husband, the king, was recently killed in an attack in front of her. Elerek is the king's older brother who has been cursed since birth and is arranged to marry his brother's wife. This book has interesting world building and a creative plot but unfortunately %75 of this book is dull exposition. The fourth that isn't is amazing! Action packed and romantic. I just wish that it was a faster and more evenly paced read.

“We all have one life, Elerek. A mighty gift from the Maker of the stars.”

Thank you, NetGalley, Whimsical Publishing, and Kaitlyn Carter Brown for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

Tropes: Forbidden romance, arranged marriage, friends-to-lovers, dark secrets, slow-burn romance, rivals

There are so many great things to say about this book.

I knew I would love it after reading just the first few paragraphs. It’s familiar yet unique. It’s heartbreaking yet wholesome. And it had me hooked from beginning to end. The writing style is simply poetic and so beautiful that I felt like I was entranced. The setting is rich with lore and great visuals. Even the side characters provide depth, each having distinct personalities and roles within this fairytale of a story.

With dual POV books that I’ve read in the past, I’ve always found that I favored one character’s perspective over the other. That one protagonist outshined the other, leaving the latter in a shadow. Not with this book, however. Both Elerek and Lystra’s unique voices, unique interpretations, add something great to an already fantastic read. They balance each other out and compliment each other in the best ways possible.

I simply cannot wait for the second book's release. I need so many answers! If you’re a forbidden romance lover such as me, this book will sate and yet have you craving more. Lystra and Elerek’s inevitable romance has shifted from a bud into a bloom. I’m eager to see what the petals say for them.

This love story is one made for the stars.

Queen of Shifting Sands was such a unique fantasy adventure! The desert setting was ripe with beautiful culture and fascinating creatures, and the political and romance aspects were a fun addition. I did find that the story dragged at some parts – especially in the middle – and the plot-twists weren’t particularly shocking, but it was a fun read.

“Up above, the stars he loved so dearly danced in all their might, singing ancient proverbs. In a glorious exchange, the sky turned orange and the sand turned pale blue.”

The worldbuilding was the strongest aspect of the novel – bold, creative, and so fun to read. Massive lizard-ish creatures that people raced and rode to battle, long gorgeous draping fabrics, battles with both magic and weapon. I thought the magic was really well woven into the story, and the entire concept of curses – especially the central curse – was really unique and interesting to read about.

“With this crown, I crown you, Lystra, daughter of House Arghan, queen of Instanolde. May you reign with grace, honor, and a strength as sure as the dancing stars above.”

Lystra was also such a cool fmc, though I have to admit that I wasn’t allll that invested in her story. She was strong and perseverant, which I admired, but I just couldn’t connect with her at times… but I found that I felt the same way about most of the characters.

“Tragic, and yet noble. Unbroken despite a world that had waged its worst. A man who both lived and died in the same cursed breath.”

I did really like certain parts of our mmc’s character – he was caring and he really thought things through, which is always a good character trait for kings. Plus I loved the rep of him being in a wheelchair! I thought that was really well done (though I wouldn’t know personally), and I thought it blended well with his character. However he had this portrayal of being socially awkward and abrupt, which I just didn’t really see? Like we kept getting told that he wasn’t great at socialising, but I could never see it… anyway, he was a cutie.

“Despite their differences, the divides between them, and the distance the curse required, perhaps they could do this, accomplish the impossible.”

The romance was… meh. I don’t know, I got invested at some stages, and then un-invested again. I thought the pacing was a bit off – it was like they were both grieving and barely had genial feelings for each other, and then instead of a slow build up, they were just kinda in love? Like I swear they didn’t even have that many convos. Also the slight love triangle with another character was a little odd.

Nonetheless, overall this was a really interesting read! Great adventure and political intrigue, stunning worldbuilding. Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy!

WOW!

What did I just read? In the best possible way. The tragedy, the angst, the plot twists. It was all incredible. A little slow-paced, which is why it's 4 and not 5 stars (and also because it ended on a cliffhanger) but the amount that happened in the last 50 pages was insane. I am also not the biggest fan of the third person because we don't know what is happening in the characters' heads, but this author combined them perfectly. I knew exactly what each character was thinking at most times (dual POV). Ms. Kaitlyn Carter Brown, you definitely know how to hold a reader's attention!

Tropes: We have arranged marriage turned lovers (although they don't know of each other's love until the end of the book); we have disability - the main character is wheelchair bound (and cursed!); "my Queen"!!!!!; ex-fiance's brother; protective of each other (and their kingdom)

This was such a beautiful and powerful book!
A young woman beloved by her people, a Prince cursed to the shadows, and a fantastical desert kingdom that everyone wants to rule. The story already begins with heartache and tension, and it got me hooked from the first chapter. Kaitlyn has done an astounding job at writing about grief, pain, self-loathing, and the power of love, family and friendship. The characters were real, and you can't help loving some and hating some.
Beautiful book, amazing cliffhanger, I need to know what comes next!

The blurb of this book sounded captivating and the cover was beautiful, so this book immediately caught my interest. While this book definitely had a ton of potential, I felt as though it fell flat for a variety of reasons. This book was very slow in pace. I also found that the conflict/purpose of this story was not very clearly defined and didn’t seem very urgent, so it was hard to capture my interest. The characters also fell a bit flat for me and weren’t very multi-dimensional, with the exception of one or two characters. What I did like about the story, though was the disability representation and the quality of the writing! The writing was well done & the scenery was beautifully described, making it easy to imagine the setting. The male main character is also a wheelchair user, and never once was it treated as a hindrance or was he discriminated against for it. I love how that showed that people with disabilities have a place in both fantasy and romance novels.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Joy still resides among the living.”

This book was a joy to read. It truly is refreshing to read good fantasy books again. Queen of Shifting Sands deserves all the hype it will undoubtably receive.

As always, thank you to NetGalley, and Ms. Brown for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is marked as a romance fantasy book, however if you read it for only the romance, you will probably be disappointed. This is the slowest of slow-burn’s, will-they-won’t they with an arranged marriage of sunshine-grumpy in a love triangle. I love all the fantasy elements of the book - the unique curse was fascinating, along with the interesting animals. This has lots of hidden secrets and family drama, some of my favorite things to read. I didn’t care for the cliffhanger ending, but that just means I’ll be reading the next book in the series.

*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

**this review has been cross-posted to Storygraph, Goodreads and Amazon Canada!

3/3.25 ⊹ ࣪ ˖

↬thank you Netgalley & Whimsical Publishing for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review⟡

I have to say, this story was very captivating from the start! The concepts were something we've seen before but the spin the author put into it was unique. The curse was unique and the world was already rather unique (in a way). I think I just struggled with not only the pacing of the story but the slight repetitiveness of certain facts. The banter between the two were really good, and I appreciated the build up to their relationship. It was odd that she kept seeing her previous husband in the new husband considering I don't think brothers really look that alike... but to each their own.

I do think the execution could've been... done better? There really was a lot of potential to the story and Im curious to see what the author has in plan for the next book in the series. Imo, I think we should've gotten to know the characters more and built a connection with them before we got into all of the politics because I honestly didn't really feel like the stakes mattered because I didn't really feel connected or care about the characters. I loved the main lead - Elerek, and loved the representation as well.

All in all, it was an okay read! I did feel like it dragged here and there but there was always something to kind of drag me back so that I ended up finishing the book. Most likely will read the next book (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

Me reading the first two pages: I think this is going to be a five star read! Initially I requested this Arc because I loved the cover and the book title (that’s how I usually choose books). I literally INHALED this book! I just absolutely love, love, love, this book!

This read was mind blowingly transfixing! It’s been a little since I’ve had a page turner like this one. I love this book so much there was not one dull moment. I can’t wait for the next book!! Why did it have to end on a cliffhanger like that?!

Queen of the shifting sands follows Lystra and Elerek who have formed an alliance after the tragic death of Lystras betrothed and Elereks brother. Trying to save their people and the Kingdom, the two of them try to find ways to not only break curses but also the best way to battle against their enemies.

With Elerek’s vast knowledge and strategic thinking, and Lystra’s intelligence and quick thinking, they find solutions and answers for their Goals or will they?

A stunning story, I loved every page! I especially appreciated the representation of disabilities in this book - whilst many times having a disability is viewed as a hindrance or negative attribute, it is instead viewed as a strength and does not define the character! I loved the slow build up of romance between the main characters and the trials and tribulations they face throughout the book and the cliff hanger - cannot wait for the next book and reading the next chapter of Elerek and Lystra!

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

DNF at about 15% , will come back and edit if I re-read it. Sorry was just not in the headspace for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Whimsical Publishing for this ARC!

This book follows the story of a cursed prince turned king and a widowed queen. There’s strong disability representation as the MMC, Elerek, is bound to a wheelchair. Elerek deals with grief, self-love and self-acceptance. After the death of his brother he’s now inheriting a crown that he does not want. Lystra was set to marry the love of her life, Elerek’s brother, and was about to become queen. A role she had practiced for all her life. With the death of the king her role has become unsure. This book contains a lot of political scheming, character developments, a marriage of convenience and betrayal. There’s also a very cool magic system.

The setting is, obviously, in the desert. Although it’s easy enough to picture a desert, I felt that the world-building could have been a bit more extensive. I still don’t know what to imagine when a cardant is mentioned. Is it just a big lizard like a Komodo dragon? I dunno.

I had also issues with the pacing of this book. I was ensnared up until the 25% mark. This book also feels like it’s supposed to be plot-driven but I didn’t see that shine through a lot. Not a lot happened between 40%-70%. I had to force myself to read through this part. You could skip this and not have missed anything. I’d have preferred some more action and faster pacing. If I hadn’t received an ARC for this then I probably would have DNF’ed. The writing itself is very good though. The author has a very elegant writing-style.

Elerek is a lovable character. He’s stoic, protective and honorable. I feel like he’s very well-written. Although he’s described as cold, I found his character a lot warmer than Lystra’s. In fact, I did not find Lystra likable at all. I might’ve even found her a bit boring.

I also felt no chemistry between the MC’s. So my other issue is with the romance itself. It’s supposed to be a slow burn but they had no chemistry and then *BOOM!* out of nowhere they’re suddenly in love (and there’s still no chemistry). I wasn’t really rooting for them. I felt the marriage of convenience vibes but definitely not the romance vibes. All in all, the romance felt disconnected.

In conclusion, I feel like this book could’ve been a lot better. The plot is cool but the execution fell a bit flat for me. Therefore, I cannot (unfortunately) give it a higher rating than 3 stars.

After hearing so many good things, I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, it wasn't a book for me. I didn't dislike it, but it's not a series I'll continue with.

It took me a long time to connect with Lystra and Elerek. Razhar was my favorite character, but he also had the most/largest personality.

The romance also progressed too quickly in my opinion. While the passage of time isn't exactly clear, the novel takes place within the span of a summer. Considering the trauma and grief the characters were processing, it just felt too fast.

I liked the worldbuilding. The curse was very creative. Though I'll be perfectly honest, the scene where Lystra witnesses a drowning creeped me out. After that, the descriptions involved with the curse didn't bother me.

Overall, Queen of Shifting Sands just wasn't a novel for me.

Cautions: two kisses; moderate romance; Elerek and a side character had an intimate relationship before his marriage to Lystra, which comes up semi-frequently, non-detailed; semi-graphic descriptions; moderate violence

*Thank you to NetGalley and Whimsical Publishing for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

My only problem with this book, is that I didn't want a "Clean" romance. If you're going to write an arrange marriage, you can make it steamy without the whole smut. You can make it sexy without being descriptive.
The world building was excellent, and I'm shocked that this is a debut novel. The idea and the curse was really original but at times it felt reading YA trying to be adult. Hence the 4 stars.

I loved this book so much! The cover is so pretty and I would buy this book just for the cover. The romance was perfect and I enjoyed reading this book so much!

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, and thats saying a lot as I already thought I was going to love this book.
A bit of a slow read allows for readers to really have a good grasp and understanding on what is happening. I thought it was great!
Lots of angsty romance, cursed prince, found family, and really great concept of growing romance.
Thank you to Netgally & Whimsical Publishing for allowing me to ARC read this great book! I am excited to see where it goes.

Thank you NetGalley for this book!
The characters were very lovable, and the world building was very well done. The curse itself did take me a while to understand, especially with how the other cursed didn’t blame him (I totally would), but I enjoyed the storyline! The ending did feel a bit rushed, and I have no idea what’s going on with the Kings friend.
Despite this, I will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Whimsical Publishing for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, grief, ableism, animal death, violence

“Queen of Shifting Sands” originally attracted my eye because of its gorgeous cover. Inside, I found an engaging slow-burn fantasy set in a desert kingdom on the verge of invasion. Lystra has been trained to one day take the throne as the Queen of Instanolde alongside her beloved King for her entire life. She wants nothing more than to bring joy to the people and for a long time, she’s eagerly awaiting her wedding day. However, before this can happen, Lystra and the King are ambushed and he is killed. Grief-stricken and watching as the life she prepared for vanishes, Lystra refuses to give in to despair even as it becomes clear that their rival nations are going to invade before summer’s end. To succeed, she must ally with her lost love’s brother, Elerek, who will now become King. Elerek has spent his entire life expecting to die at any moment and unable to touch anyone for fear of passing on his curse. Cursed to turn into water and eventually drown for the misdeeds of his father and without any faith he can be cured, Elerek was never supposed to be King. Forced into the role and out of the dark where he’s hidden himself, Elerek is forced to contend with people who look down on him for his wheelchair and perceived lack of strength. He needs an ally- and with Lystra adored by the people more than he is, she’s an obvious choice. The only problem is that Elerek can never reveal the truth of his condition to Lystra, and when they fall for each other as summer’s end looms closer, they must fight for their kingdom before invasion and magic can tear them apart.

This is such a strong debut novel with beautifully written disability representation and a powerful set of characters. The world building is expansive and you can really feel the desert heat as you read this book, I adored the idea of people travelling on cardants (lizards) and condors. Lystra was a wonderful main character, hiding her grief behind a mask as she tries to continue on with the life stolen from her by a violent attack. Her family- particularly her grandmother- are so dependent on her role as Queen and they’re willing to do anything to ensure she takes her place, even considering assassinating Elerek after the wedding. I loved Elerek so much because he was beautifully written, representing so much bravery but also doubt even when he has been told repeatedly that he isn’t good enough. His complicated relationship with his dead brother, and those he’s accidentally passed the curse onto through touch who he now views as family, made him into a noble and devastating figure. He has little hope he can be saved and I found this added to the already huge tension of the novel. I really enjoyed “Queen of Shifting Sands” in part because of it’s slow pace, because you feel more connected to the characters. I can’t wait to read more!

The desctiption was throughing me of a little. I was eagerly waiting for the main characters to interact together but after a quarter of the book they barley met each other twice and no word of marriage. This usually wouldn't bother me much, but the story is built with usurping plans and rivalry yet I knew nothing will happen as their going to marry instead... It made the story feel so long. I highly recommend to change the description up a little, not mentioning anything about the marriage. Because the story is really good.